Griffis fled authorities during his 1990 trial for child molestation. After trial in absentia, he was convicted and sentenced to a lengthy term. He was captured and returned to custody in 1996, and the trial court adjudicated him guilty. Griffis appealed, and the state moved to dismiss, citing a 1991 Florida Supreme Court case holding that the right to appeal can be waived by fleeing. The First District disagreed, citing a 1993 case by the U.S. Supreme Court that suggested a contrary conclusion. However, the First District certified a question asking the Florida Supreme Court which case should control.